Leonardo Gutierrez, dreams of a three-point shooter

The contribution of Leonardo Gutiérrez to the game of basketball is worth as a study case. In his early years in Argentine National Basketball League, with his barely 6'6.5'' we can describe his game at that time as something halfway between a power forward that lacked of body mass and inches for post play, and a small forward who could fight for rebounds, but without a developed shoot, and his technique despite his improvement it was still very green. So he earned his first minutes.

Horacio Segui, who was his coach at the multi-champion Olimpia Venado Tuerto, received an offer to coach in Colombia in the summer of 2000, and he did not hesitate to hire Gutierrez, who by then had won a second title, this time with Atenas de Cordoba. He advised him (in addition to his defense and rebound ability) to add a three-point shot. And he began to polish the weapon. And polish. And polish.

And without leaving his scoring ability (15 pts avg) and rebounding (nearly 6 reb) in the 2000-01 season with Atenas Cordoba he scored 120 triples in 49 games. Until then in Argentina he had only registered 18 shots from three in the previous seven years: from two per season he raised to score more than two PER GAME. On his return from the Spanish LEB Oro (a single season with Drac Inca, 2002-03) he would not move the country unless their commitments to the national team, as a member of the Golden Generation. In his ten years would become a subscriber to that matter, up to stratospherical levels: he never would lower from 2,5 threes made per game, more than one hundred converted every season and in the 2010-11 season playing for Peñarol against Boca Juniors he would set a then-record FIBA (later matched) with 15 three-pointers made in a game (120-76 against Boca Juniors).

Except for a single season in the Spanish LEB Oro (Drac Inca, 2002-03) he would not move the country except for their commitments to the national team, as a member of the Golden Generation. With nine Argentine leagues under his belt, obtained with five different teams (three with Atenas Cordoba, three with Peñarol Mar del Plata, one with Olimpia Venado Tuerto, one with Boca Juniors and one with Ben Hur Rafaela), Leonardo Gutierrez year by year increases his production in points and three pointers, he's not a bad rebounder despite entering in years (he'll turn 36 on May 16th), and thanks to his versatility (he can play power forward, small forward and even shooting guard) he has a good passing and stealing ability.

In 19 seasons disputed (currently in its twentieth in the LNB with a contract for at least one year remaining) Leo has such impressing numbers that scare in any FIBA league of just loking at them. As of 16 February Gutierrez is 3rd in the historical ranks of the LNB in points (12,609, 13.4 average), 2nd in total rebounds (4.619, 4.9) , 3rd in games played (942), 2nd in three point shots made, with true chance to be all-time leader in 3-pointers this season (1,883, 2.0 as historical average, although due to what's explained above, only in the last twelve leagues he recorded 3.2 per night, in addition to more than 9 three-pointers attempted per game), 22nd in assists (1.322, 1.4), 11th in steals (978, 1.1), 3rd in blocked shots with 548 (0.6) and 7th in minutes played with 26,340 (28 per night).

In short, a more-than-outstanding player who could achieve all of his dreams. Dreams of a true champion. Dreams of a three-point shooter.Matias Barmat (@worldhoopstats)